SuY

Have 8 days to spend in Argentina next March. First trip to Argentina. Thinking of splitting my time between Buenos Aires, Salta (wine focused) and potentially Iguazu Falls. Husband and I live in NYC and don't really want a city experience (sorry BA fans!). Thinking 3 days BA, 2.5 days in Salta and 1.5 days in Iguazu. However, should I skip Iguazu and spend more time in BA/Salta? I apologize for this ignorant question or if I offend anyone but is Iguazu similar to Niagara which he and I just visited?

santiagov

Suy

For a short stay of 8 days I would focus on BA / 4 days , 1 for outdoors and the rest for either Iguazu falls or Mendoza.

Skipp one of the choices , you may cover it but rushing .

Try this link for more info
www.welcomeargentina.com

WinterTravel

We just returned from a trip in Argentina and almost skipped Iguazu Falls, but added a day and a half there at the last-minute. Thank goodness that we did -- it was one of the highlights of our trip! We are not big waterfall people, but we were simply amazed at the sight of the falls -- stunning and impressive. We've been in Africa, and Iguazu makes Victoria Falls look small in comparison. Have not been in Niagara in years, but Iguazu must be much more impressive given that it is 275 falls spread over 2km.

In a day and a half we covered the walking circuits on the Argentine side and had time for the boat trip under the falls (great fun and worth doing, but do it last -- you will get soaked).

Our recommendation would definitely be to go to Iguazu (very easy flight on Aerolineas Argentinas from BA -- nice flight and on time).

TioGringo

I would *NOT* skip Iguazu. Niagra is but a dripping faucet compared to the majesty of Iguazu...

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

drdawggy

Not to put too fine a point on it, Iguazu is roughly seven times larger than Niagra in terms of volume of water that flows over the edge. I have taken four student groups there in the past three years. I was as awestruck on the fourth trip as the first.

Don't skip Iguazu.

santiagov

Yes probably Iguazu Falls would be a highlight on your trip to Arg. , specially if in the Sheraton terrace with a great view to the falls and a glass of Malbec from Mendoza.

DD´s dream !

Lolo12

Don't skip Iguazu - it is definitely worth going to see - nothing at all like Niagara. You can easily see what needs to be seen in a day and a half, including traveling time. All you really need is to spend 1 night, preferably at the Sheraton, the only hotel in walking distance to the falls. You can make plane connections to and from BA with Aerolineas. I took a morning flight to Iguazu from BA, spent the rest of the day, stayed over and spent the next 1/2 day before taking an early afternoon flight back. It was plenty of time.
TioGringo: You echoed what Eleanor Roosevelt said about Iguazu - it makes Niagara look like a leaky faucet!!
I am about to see Victoria Falls next month and will have seen the 3 major waterfalls in the world. But I think Iguazu will be by far the best and most impressive.

santiagov

Iguazu Falls is a breathtaking place but if tourism continues growing in the area tourism will be breathtaking not the falls

There are many other wonders to visit in
Argentina.

drdawggy

I went in June and found Iguazu uncrowded and the weather relatively mild. The tour guides told me January and February are terrible in terms of weather and crowds. Kids are out of school for summer vacation and Argentinos as well as foreigners flock to the falls.....I suppose July would be bad as well, because of the winter break from school.

SuY

Thanks much for all the input. It's become increasingly difficult for me to decide not to go there (although spending more time in Salta sounds very tempting). Will be there at the end of March. Will that be a bad time?

To add to all my permutations, I guess it would be too greedy if I went to BA, Salta and Mendoza in those 8 days?

santiagov

SuY

I suggest that for 8 days you should skipp 1 destiny. Or extend your trip in 3/ 4 days.

Personally I would do Salta in depth or Iguazu + BA.

WinterTravel

One other suggestion -- if you have flexibility in your schedule, try to be at Iguazu during the week rather than on a weekend. The Sheraton has lower rates during the week and is much less crowded (weekends are full with families -- lots of kids around).

SeptemberTurkey

I was in Argentina in March of this year and the weather in both Buenos Aires and Iguazu was perfect. Definitely visit Iguazu. I agree with the other posts that staying at the Sheraton is the way to go - the views around sunset are wonderful and the easy access to the falls is a must if you're on a short schedule. The food at the Sheraton's restaurant is disappointing though (especially in Argentina, where the food is generally so wonderful) - a short taxi ride will get you to some local restaurants that are much better and less expensive.
While you are there you will see there are a number of paths that you can take. There is one path that is through the woods, you have no view of any falls for most of the hike. Eventually you get to a little waterfall with a pool at the bottom you can swim in. We had been told this was very romantic, but we were very disappointed. The waterfall was so tiny, we expected to see someone with a hose at the top of the hill and the swimming hole was hard to enjoy with all the bugs. It's a fairly long hike as well. If you are short on time, you may be better off enjoying the standard trails for longer. If you do decide to take this trail (and you are staying at the Sheraton), ask about it at the hotel - we took a very roundabout way to get back to the hotel after we were done, that added about 1/2 an hour to our hike, when if we had just turned right instead of left, we would have been back at the hotel in 5 minutes!
Also, one of the best things about the falls is how well built the walkways are. They allow you various vantage points and get you up close so that you can really experience the falls. The falls will not stop impressing you.

SuY

Thanks much for everyone's advice. Looks like the Falls is a must and that I would have to stay at the Sheraton. Just checked out prices on the web and they are even more than NYC! Is there an alternative route to staying at the hotel or do I have to pony up the US$265 they are asking for?

pat

You might want to watch the movie "The Mission" with Robert DeNiro, to get a feeling for the area and good shots of the falls.

santiagov

SuY

You may look for other good hotels in the area, they are not IN THE PARK , but with a 5 minutes cab drive you are there.
Go to the Sheraton for a coke / beer on their terrace over the falls.
Food at the Sheraton is so so and expensive.

santiagov

SuY

Try with Robert at travelsur.com
Say hi from Barbacharters, he with his mom have a small family biz as TA , Robert is based in Miami,extremely knowleadgable about Arg. , his 75 years old mom picks up passsenges at Ezeiza !!
Nice people , I dont know them personaly , but e mailed w/ Robert.

Good luck !

alibi13

Iguazu is definitely worth it. The Sheraton is awesome. Eat the surubi--a river fish that is unbelievable. Ride the complimentary bikes to the falls you can swim in. Play tennis at night and a bat may join you.

Another film that features Iguazu prominently is Wong Kar Wai's "Happy Together".

connette

Igauzu is a definite must. I believe staying at the Sheraton is worth every penny. If for nothing else than the birds and wildlife + the easy access to the falls. They no longer have the bicycles - but it is a nice hike to the small water falls mentioned above. We either ate in the bar, which had good and inexpensive appetizers and pizza, and a nice deck for waterfall views - or there are two restaurants on the property - only about a 1-2 block walk from the hotel. Good sandwiches and such for only about $2-3.00 US. I think they close at 5 or 6 p.m. though. The fall view rooms make it so nice. We had an awesome bird show from our balcony every night. Be sure and take your binoculars.

ita

I went on a cruise to South America a few years ago. I took a side trip to Iguazu Falls. It was the hightligt of my trip and well worth the additional expense.